Posted on 09/03/2023 10:10:00 AM PDT by daniel1212
The spirit is eternal, the body only temporal.
It seems reasonable to think pain and suffering—particularly because they are part of the fallen world but not part of God’s paradise—are a brain (material) phenomenon but not a spiritual one, and as such are wholly temporal and do not persist eternally.
You mean only if God,
2. granted us free moral agency, but never have given us anything to choose between [negation of moral choices, and no devil or God].
5. allowed created beings a negative alternative to faithfulness to the creator, and the ability to choose evil, but immediately reversed any effects and not penalized such [negation of consequences to choices].
5. allowed created beings a negative alternative to faithfulness to the creator, and the ability to choose evil, but immediately reversed any effects and not penalized such [negation of consequences to choices].
Also, it becomes increasingly obvious with each passing day that Satan owns this dump that we're living in. All God offers to us is a ladder we can climb up to escape the dump, if we so choose.
Thanks God! I'm-a-climbin'!
Certainly God could, but the premise that He must in order to be good is simply absurd! For one thing, you must disallow the ability to choose, and alternatives to obedience to God, and of consequences for actions, at least evil ones, and which affect others. Plus you must effectively presume omniscience in order to assert "that at least GOD should exert Himself to.. at least eliminate all Human suffering stemming from, e.g., natural catastrophes."
So which alternatives listed do want to choose? Disallow the ability to choose, and alternatives to obedience to God, and of consequences for actions, at least evil ones, and which affect others?
If we are to blame God for taking life or allowing the abuse of it, why do we not thank Him for giving life, and both good things and good laws, and repent for our misuse and abuse of such?
And would this occur if all the world obeyed what God taught in His universal moral laws?
And where did the moral sense of abhorrence of such abuse come from? Why is this abuse not the norm?
And in the light of all that can be known, not only in this life but for eternity, what was the effect of this terrible abuse?
How did this work to prevent more demonic destruction? Where is the child now?
To see and know creation is a posteriori, not a priori.
Creation is evidence of the Creator.
When someone comes to me and proclaims,
"God exists! And Creation is in a Fallen State because etc... and Natural disasters are a result of our sinful nature and... Free Will would be impossible without the possibility of choosing Sin and... So you see, if a baby isn't immediately baptized before it dies, then it will suffer for all Eternity... Well, there's this place called 'Limbo' where... No, Consubstantiation is Heresy! ...And then the Indians, who were actually Lamanites... So if you wear these magic underwear..."
My first response will be: "Oh, really? That's interesting! What proof do you have? What arguments can you marshal?
You are unfairly (ingenuously?) equating that with denial.
Asking for proof/evidence is a perfectly legitimate precursor to employing ones powers of reasoning!
Regards,
God gave Man and Woman free will. Eve abused it 1st and Adam followed.
Who you gonna blame now?
Always love your humorous / sarcastic interjections, Good Buddy!
Even if they sometimes distract from the topic at hand.
Regards,
Justice delayed is Justice denied!
The Justice should have been meted out immediately! Would have saved us a whole lot of suffering.
To say nothing of those weird 1980s hairstyles! / humor
Regards,
Here’s howw: The free will given to objects of creation was used for unrighteousness.
Of note—when those children are with God, their tears and their sorrows will not only be gone. “Gone” includes forgotten.
“Asking for proof/evidence is a perfectly legitimate precursor to employing ones powers of reasoning!”
Yes, that sounds right.
But only when we acknowledge the limits of proof.
For example, can you prove to me, or to yourself, that what you see in front of you is not a hallucination?
He is either God of All or not at all.
I’m surprised nobody has responded to your post.
That is a huge point.
I choose none of the above.
Best to the point post on this thread.
Most people hate the answer to your point.
I just realized that my first comments to my article was for another article I planned to post and comment on and which I used https://poe.com for. It was text that was on my clipboard and I somehow posted it as a comment here, but belongs in this powerful testimony to God's great grace: . Will post here later, by the grace of God.
p
snark
Indeed: His love and kindness and grace would be entirely superfluous!
By the same token: If I didn't bang my head against the wall, I wouldn't know how good it feels to stop!
If I have to renounce Free Will to avoid suffering - even at the cost of never experiencing His love and kindness - then I choose NO SUFFERING.
It is the most-logical choice.
(Imagine, before the beginning of Creation, an infinitely merciful and infinitely wise Being pondering all the suffering that would ensue, and then saying, "Eh, maybe better not!" Instead, of simply doing nothing, He chose to knowingly inflict great suffering on many of His children.")
Regards,
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.